Claudia's Corner: Watch where you place those candles

Candles are a very popular decorative accessory. With their elegant, subtle lighting they can create a mood, whether for romantic moments or just for soft lighting. Candles are also a great way to add texture and pops of color to a room. From votives to pillars of all shapes and sizes, candles can create wonderful ambience.

Candles are a very popular decorative accessory. With their elegant, subtle lighting they can create a mood, whether for romantic moments or just for soft lighting. Candles are also a great way to add texture and pops of color to a room. From votives to pillars of all shapes and sizes, candles can create wonderful ambience.

They can also start a fire.

As a vendor at Paul Davis Restoration's Fire Safety presentation at the Builders Association of the Hudson Valley last month I kept thinking, "Wow, I didn't know that!" Now I find myself mentioning to clients how they need to relocate their candles, especially if they actually plan on lighting them.

Another vendor, Richard Bell of Hudson Valley Home Inventory in New Windsor, shares a few safety tips.

Candles: Keep them away from windows, curtains, walls and anything flammable. During power outages use battery-operated lights, a generator or solar power instead of candles.

Cooking/grilling: Always stay in the kitchen when cooking. Keep things that can burn, such as dish towels, paper or plastic bags and curtains, at least three feet from your stove top. Keep barbecue grills at least ten feet from other objects, including the house deck, railings, shrubs, and bushes. Never leave a barbecue unattended while grilling.

Electrical: Pull the plug on any appliance not being used to save money and prevent fires. Overloading a circuit is a major cause of house fires. Look for and replace frayed cords. When going out for the evening, put your lights or television on a timer.

Smoke/heat/gas detectors: Most smoke detectors are hard-wired with a battery backup. Check the battery every six months or every daylight savings time. A heat detector should be placed in the attic or crawl space. A gas detector will alert you to harmful gases such as carbon monoxide that you can't smell.

Fire extinguishers: Every home should have them. Learn how and when to use one.

Fire drills: Hold a fire drill at least twice a year. Designate a meeting spot outside your house, where everyone can meet in case of fire. Know how you're all going to get there.

Fires in the home: Close the door in the room of the fire, get out, stay out and do not go back inside for any reason. Stay calm. Call 911.

Thinking "it won't happen to me" is not going to protect you from a fire. Knowledge is power and putting fire-safety procedures in place can save you and your loved ones, your home and your stuff. We are all so attached to our stuff, but it is just stuff.

With the holidays approaching, be careful where you place those candles. Better yet, and this is also a great gift idea, look for flameless, battery-operated candles. My children were not allowed to burn candles or incense in their rooms because of my fear of fire. A solution for worry-free ambience, flameless candles are available in many styles and decorative containers.

Claudia Jacobs is a decorator, professional stager and owner of Claudia Jacobs Designs in Goshen. Visit claudiajacobsdesigns.com or call 294-8993. Send questions and photos to info@claudiajacobsdesigns.com.